MMDA chair invites producers, filmmakers to join 40th edition of MMFF

MMDA chair and MMFF overall head Francis Tolentino. (Bernard Testa/InterAksyon)

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is inviting local producers and independent filmmakers as it will formally launch on Wednesday the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) simultaneous with an appreciation dinner for winners of last year’s film festival.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, concurrent head of the MMFF, said he is optimistic that this year’s festival will be more exceptional because this year’s filmfest will mark its 40th year since its conceptualization in 1974.

Last year’s festival raked in close to P1 billion in revenues, making it the most successful and highest-earning festival in its 39 years of history.

“I am inviting again all the local producers, directors and independent filmmakers to participate and come up with high-quality movies that we can all be proud of and at the same time offer entertainment to the moviegoing public during the Christmas season,” Tolentino said.

The event, to be held at the Club Filipino in San Juan City, will be highlighted by the awarding of cash incentives to the winners as well as the first tranche of funds to beneficiary organizations.

“The deadline for submission of entries for the mainstream category is on June 14,” he added.

The festival’s executive committee expressed gratitude to the moviegoers for their unwavering support and patronage of the local movie industry, particularly during the annual festival.

Apart from inspiring and motivating Filipino production outfits to create more films in spite of stiff competition from foreign movies, the cash incentives will also enable the MMFF beneficiary-organizations to undertake training for socio-cultural and development programs for its members, which will provide more livelihood and employment to Filipino artists, technical and other creative workers of the movie and entertainment sector.

Over the years, the earnings from the amusement tax collections during the festival, which has become a tradition during Christmastime, are donated by the local government units of Metro Manila to the MMFF Philippines beneficiaries, such as the Movie Workers Welfare Fund, Film Academy of the Philippines, Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Optical Media Board.

In January, right after the 39th MMFF, the FAP sued the MMFF for its alleged failure to remit the full amount of amusement taxes due the beneficiaries.

The MMFF executive committee have denied the allegations.

MMDA chair invites producers, filmmakers to join 40th edition of MMFF

Source: InterAksyon.com (March 04, 2014 at 06:58PM)

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